The draft free fall was quite the television spectacle for several prospects throughout this process as household names and first round locks turned into worried looks and speculation from draft analysts. As NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made the continuous trek to the podium to announce names throughout the night, the drama increased with each appearance the Commissioner made without calling the names of certain prospects. There are a number of players who were subjected to this tenuous wait, but here are a few of the more high profile names that finally found NFL homes.

Beginning with the Notre Dame signal caller Jimmy Clausen who many pegged as an early to mid first round draft pick as he came from a pro style offense and was widely considered the most pro ready of the quarterback prospects. His first round grade quickly deteriorated into a slide that did not end until the middle of round two where he finally landed with the Carolina Panthers at the 48th overall selection. Although the wait was undoubtedly excruciating, this is the ideal situation for Clausen who steps into an organization in desperate need of a consistent starter as a player fully equipped to make an impact in year one.

The winningest quarterback in college football history was next on the list with Texas Longhorns hurler Colt McCoy thought of as a possible early to mid 2nd round pick went 85th overall in 3rd round to the Cleveland Browns. Teams were hesitant on McCoy being relatively undersized at 6’1” 216lbs. playing the quarterback position and a perceived lack of arm strength. That same criticism hung above the head of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees for a while until he began leading the league in passing and winning a Super Bowl. He could really turn out to be quite the bargain for Mike Holmgren and the Browns organization two or three years down the line after some development as an understudy.

It’s important to remember that the NFL Draft is far from an exact science and that there are a number of Pro Football Hall of Fame members who were not first round picks. These projections are most certainly flawed and every team is bound to have its own fair share of so-called busts that once looked like ‘can’t miss’ players. The quarterbacks weren’t the only guys subjected to this fingernail chewing during the draft, but this is just volume one. Check out volume two for some other names that fell much father than the experts predicted.

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